Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Jun 6: The state high court (HC), on Friday June 5, wanted to know why special trains should not be run between Mangaluru and Bengaluru to handle passenger pressure and closure of Shiradi Ghat stretch of the national highway between the two cities due to ongoing repairs and improvements.

A HC division bench comprising ad hoc chief justice of the HC, Justice S K Mukherjee, and Justice Ram Mohan Reddy, has asked the railways department to come out with a reply within a week. The bench had taken up for hearing a public interest litigation filed by Bengaluru-based advocate from the city, Lata Ramesh, and S Pradip Kumar kalkura, issued this order.

"Repair works at Shiradi Ghat stretch might take six months time to complete. On the line of the practice of introducing special trains during summer season presently in vogue, why special trains should not be introduced between these two important cities? Have the passengers not been faced with the ordeal of having to undertake journey of 10-12 hours now?" the bench asked the advocate representing the railways.

The advocate said he would get back by the next hearing after consulting the railways.

The petitioners had drawn the attention of the HC towards the fact that the Shiradi Ghat portion of the highway between the two cities had been closed since January 2 this year, and that passengers are facing hardships to travel between the cities on regular basis. They also said six alternative routes between these two cities suffer from lack of basic facilities including restrooms.